Fence-post.



PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

e. EIGHHORN. FENCE POST. APPLICATION FILED MARIE, 1906.

WITNESSES.-

A TTOR/VE Y5 THE NORRIS PETERS ca., WASHINGTON, b. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

GUSTAVE EICHHORN, OF WEST POINT, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD EICHHORN, OF WEST POINT, IOIVA.

FENCE-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed March 15, 1906. Serial No. 306,264.

To (ti/Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE EIOHHORN a citizen of the United States, residing at West Point, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Fence-Post, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to posts or standards for supporting rural mail-boxes, and has for its object to provide an artificial-stone post having a laterally-extending arm ad apted to .receive and support the mail-box in convenient position for receiving and delivering the -mail.

A further object of the invention is to provide a post having its side walls painted or otherwise ornamented or decorated so as to enable the mail-carrier to readily locate the several mail-boxes along the route, and,' further, to provide means for detachably securing the mail-box to the supporting-arm.

A further object of the invention is to generally improve this class of devices, so as to add to their utility and durability, as Well as to reduce the cost of manufacture.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions, and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an artificial-stone post or standard constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating a modified form of construction.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The device consists of a post or standard 5, molded or otherwise formed of cement, concrete, terra-cotta, or other suitable plastic material and adapted to be embedded in the ground, said posts being arranged at predetermined intervals along the mail route. Extending laterally from one end of the post, and preferably formed integral therewith, is an arm or extension 5, and engaging said extension is a bracket 6, the opposite ends of which are bent laterally to form anchoringflanges 7, adapted to be embedded in the body of the post, as shown. The bracket 6 is substantially U-shaped, as shown, and forms a casing or housing for the extension 5, the closed end of the bracket being provided with alined openings 8, adapted to receive bolts, pins, or other suitable fastening devices 9 for securing the mail-box 10 in position on the extension 5. Slidably mounted on the pins or bolts 9 and interposed between the closed end of the bracket 6 and the adjacent wall of the mail-box 10 is a wear-plate 11, the latter being clamped in engagement with the bracket 6 by nuts 12, which latter also serve to detachably secure the mail-box to extension 5.

By having the post or standard formed of artificial stone, as shown, said post will effectually resist the action of the elements for an indefinite period, while by reason of the bracket or casing 6 the supported arm 5 is reinforced and strengthened and the cement prevented from disintegrating. The side walls of the post and supporting-arm are preferably painted, stamped, or otherwise ornamented or decorated, so that the mail carrier may readily locate the several mailboxes along the route.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings there is illustrated a modified form of the invention in which the extension 5 is detachably secured to the post or standard by means of bolts or similar fastening devices 13, which engage thelateralextending flanges 1.4 of the bracket 6. In this case the supporting-arm 5 is molded or otherwise separately formed and subsequently attached to the post or standard, a plate 15 being preferably interposed between the supporting-arm and standard to form a bearing-surface for said arm.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that there is provided an extremely simple and inexpensive device admirably adapted for the attainment of the ends in view.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. A device of the class described comprising an artificial-stone post having a laterallyextending arm, a bracket forming a housing for the arm and having its opposite ends embedded in the post, a mail-box supported by the arm, and a wear-plate interposed between the bracket and mail-box.

2. A device of the class described comprising an artificial-stone post having a laterallyextending arm, a bracket forming a housing for the arm and having its opposite ends embedded in the post, and a mail-box secured to the bracket.

3. A device of the class described an artificial-stone post having a laterally-extended supporting-arm and having its opposite ends extended. laterallyand embedded in the post, a bracket forming a housing for the arm, and a mail-box detachably secured to the bracket.

4. A device of the class described comprising an artificial-stone post, having a laterallyextending arm formed integral therewith, a bracket engaging the free ends of the arm and having its opposite ends bent laterally and embedded in the post, and a mail-box detachably secured to the bracket.

5. A device of the class described comprising an artificial-stone post provided With an integral laterally-extended supporting-arm, a bracket engaging the free end of the support ing-arm and having its opposite ends bent laterally and embedded in the post, a mail box, and fastening devices embedded in the supported arm and extending through openings in the bracket for engagement with the mail-box.

6. A device of the class described comprising an artificial-stone post, provided with a laterally-extended supporting-arm, a bracket secured to the arm and forming a housing for the latter, a mail-box, a plate interposed be tween the mail-box and the adjacent end of the bracket, and fastening devices embedded in the supporting-arm and extending through perforations in the plate for engagement with the mail-box.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

GU STAV E EICHHORN.

VV-itnesses: t

JOHN SOIIROEDER, J. D. PEEBLER. 

